Marcus Tullius Cicero→Titus Pomponius Atticus|c. -60 AD|Cicero|AI-assisted
What shall I write you in detail about the republic? It has perished entirely, and is more wretched than when you left it, because at that time the sort of despotism that had crushed the state seemed pleasing to the multitude, and though it was painful to the respectable citizens, it was at least not ruinous. But now it has suddenly become so hateful to everyone that we shudder at where it may erupt. For we have experienced the anger and excess of those men who, enraged at Cato, threw everything away — yet they seemed to employ such mild poisons that we thought we could die without pain. But now, with the hisses of the crowd, the conversations of the respectable, and the murmuring of Italy, I fear they have been inflamed.
For my part, I had hoped — as I used often to say to you — that the wheel of the republic had turned so smoothly that we could scarcely hear the sound or see the track of its path. And so it would have been, if people could have waited out the passing of the storm. But after they had sighed in secret for a long time, they then began to groan, and finally all began to speak out and shout.
And so that friend of ours, unaccustomed to disgrace, always surrounded by praise, overflowing with glory, now disfigured in body and broken in spirit, does not know where to turn. He sees that to advance is headlong, that to retreat is fickle. He has the respectable men as his enemies, and the disreputable themselves are not his friends. And see how tender my heart is — I could not hold back my tears when I saw him on the 25th of July addressing the people about the edicts of Bibulus. He who had been accustomed to carry himself most magnificently in that place, with the highest affection of the people and everyone cheering — how humble he was then, how dejected, how he displeased even himself, not only those who were present!
What a spectacle — pleasing to Crassus alone, but to no one else! For since he had fallen from the stars, he seemed to have slipped rather than advanced, and just as Apelles, if he saw his Venus, or Protogenes, if he saw that famous Ialysus of his smeared with mud, would, I believe, feel great anguish, so I myself saw this man — painted and polished by me with all the colors of my art — suddenly disfigured, and not without great grief. Although no one thought I ought to remain his friend on account of the Clodian affair, yet so great was my affection that no injury could exhaust it. And so the Archilochian edicts of Bibulus against him are so pleasing to the people that we cannot pass the place where they are posted because of the crowd of those reading them; so bitter to him that he wastes away with grief; and painful to me, by Hercules, both because they torment excessively the man I have always cherished, and because I fear that so violent a man, so fierce with the sword, and so unaccustomed to insult, may surrender himself entirely to grief and anger.
What the outcome will be for Bibulus, I do not know. As things stand now, he enjoys remarkable glory. When he postponed the elections to October — a thing that usually offends the people's will — Caesar thought he could use a speech to drive the assembly to go to Bibulus. But though he spoke in the most seditious manner, he could not extract a single shout. In short, they realize they hold no faction's goodwill. All the more must we fear violence.
Clodius is my enemy. Pompey assures me he will do nothing against me. It is dangerous for me to believe it; I am preparing to resist. I hope I shall have the highest support from all ranks. I miss you greatly, and indeed the situation itself calls you for that critical time. I shall gain the utmost in counsel, courage, and protection if I see you in time. Varro satisfies me. Pompey speaks divinely. I hope we shall come through either with the greatest glory or at least without trouble. Please let me know what you are doing, how you are amusing yourself, and what you have settled with the Sicyonians.
To enter into details about politics would be superfluous. The whole
country has gone to rack and ruin: and affairs are in one respect worse
than when you left. Then it looked as though we were oppressed with a
tyranny which was popular with the lower classes, and, though annoying
to the upper, still comparatively harmless: but now it has become
suddenly so universally detested that I tremble for the issue. For we
have had an experience of the wrath and recklessness of the Triumvirs,
and in their indignation with Cato, they have ruined the state. The
poisons they used seemed to be so slow that I thought we could die
painlessly. But now I am afraid they have been roused to energy by the
hisses of the crowd, the talk of the loyalists, and the murmurs of
Italy. I had hopes, as I used often to say to you, that the wheel of
state had turned so smoothly that we could
sonitum audire, vix impressam orbitam videre possemus; et fuisset ita,
si homines transitum tempestatis exspectare potuissent. Sed, cum diu
occulte suspirassent, postea iam gemere, ad extremum vero loqui omnes et
clamare coeperunt. Itaque ille amicus noster insolens infamiae, semper
in laude versatus, circumfluens gloria, deformatus corpore, fractus
animo, quo se conferat, nescit; progressum praecipitem, inconstantem
reditum videt; bonos inimicos habet, improbos ipsos non amicos.
Ac vide mollitiem animi. Non tenui lacrimas; cum illum a. d. VIII Kal.
Sextiles vidi de edictis Bibuli contionantem. Qui antea solitus esset
iactare se magnificentissime illo in loco summo cum amore populi,
cunctis faventibus, ut ille tum humilis, ut demissus erat, ut ipse etiam
sibi, non iis solum, qui aderant, displicebat! O spectaculum uni Crasso
iucundum, ceteris non item! Nam, quia deciderat ex astris, lapsus quam
progressus potius videbatur, et, ut Apelles, si Venerem, aut Protogenes,
si Ialysum illum suum caeno oblitum videret, magnum, credo, acciperet
dolorem, sic ego hunc omnibus a me pictum et politum artis coloribus
subito deformatum non sine magno dolore vidi. Quamquam nemo putabat
propter Clodianum negotium me illi amicum esse debere, tamen tantus fuit
amor, ut exhauriri nulla posset
scarcely catch the sound of its motion, and scarcely see the track of
its path: and that is what would have happened, if people could only
have waited for the storm to pass. But for a while they stifled their
sighs; then they began to groan aloud; and finally all set about airing
their grievances at the top of their voices. And so our friend, being
unused to unpopularity, and having always lived in an atmosphere of
flattery and glory, disfigured in person and broken in spirit, does not
know what to do with himself: he sees that to advance is dangerous, to
retreat a confession of weakness: the respectable parties are his
enemies, the very riff-raff not his friends.
Yet see how soft-hearted I am. I could not restrain my tears, when I saw
him on the 25th of July delivering a speech on the subject of the edicts
of Bibulus. He used to carry himself with such a lofty bearing, enjoying
unbounded popularity and universal respect: and now, how humble he was,
how cast down, and what discontent he aroused in himself as well as in
his hearers! What a sight! Crassus may have enjoyed it, but no one else.
For seeing that he had fallen from the stars, one could not but
attribute his swift descent to accident rather than to voluntary motion.
And, just as Apelles or Protogenes, if they had seen their Venus or
Ialysus smeared with mud, would, I imagine, have been cut to the heart,
so I myself could not but feel poignant grief at seeing the idol on
whose adornment I had lavished all the colours of my art suddenly
disfigured. For though no one looked on it as my duty to retain my
friendship with him after the Clodian affair, my affection for him was
such that no slight could extinguish
iniuria. Itaque Archilochia in illum edicta Bibuli populo ita sunt
iucunda, ut eum locum, ubi proponuntur, prae multitudine eorum, qui
legunt, transire nequeamus, ipsi ita acerba, ut tabescat dolore, mihi
mehercule molesta, quod et eum, quem semper dilexi, nimis excruciant, et
timeo, tam vehemens vir tamque acer in ferro et tam insuetus contumeliae
ne omni animi impetu dolori et iracundiae pareat.
Bibuli qui sit exitus futurus, nescio. Ut nunc res se habet, admirabili
gloria est. Qui cum comitia in mensem Octobrem distulisset, quod solet
ea res populi voluntatem offendere, putarat Caesar oratione sua posse
impelli contionem, ut iret ad Bibulum; multa cum seditiosissime diceret,
vocem exprimere non potuit. Quid quaeris? sentiunt se nullam ullius
partis voluntatem tenere. Eo magis vis nobis est timenda.
Clodius inimicus est nobis. Pompeius confirmat eum nihil esse facturum
contra me. Mihi periculosum est credere, ad resistendum me paro. Studia
spero me summa habiturum omnium ordinum. Te cum ego desidero, tum vero
res ad tempus illud vocat. Plurimum consilii, animi, praesidii denique
mihi, si te ad tempus videro, accesserit. Varro mihi satis facit.
Pompeius loquitur divinitus. Spero nos aut certe cum summa gloria aut
etiam sine molestia discessuros. Tu quid agas, quem ad modum te
oblectes, quid cum Sicyoniis egeris, ut sciam, cura.
it. The result, is that now Bibulus’ scathing edicts against him are
so popular, that one can’t pass the place where they are posted up for
the crowd of people reading them. Pompey finds them so distressing that
he is wasting away with grief; and I myself am much annoyed with them,
partly because they cause so much pain to a man whom I have always
loved, and partly for fear that being so impulsive and ready to draw the
sword, as well as so unused to abuse, he may give full reins to his
indignation and wrath.
I don’t know what will be the end of Bibulus. As things stand at present
his reputation is extraordinarily high. When he put off the elections
till October, which generally annoys the populace, Caesar thought he
could induce the people by a speech to attack Bibulus: but in spite of
all his seditious talk, he could not ring a word out of anybody. In
short they feel that they have lost the good-will of all parties: and so
violent action on their part is all the more to be feared.
Clodius is hostile to me. Pompey assures me he will do nothing against
me: but I am afraid to trust him and am getting ready for resistance. I
hope I shall have very strong support from all classes. For your
presence I have a longing myself and circumstances call for it to meet
the crisis. If I see you in time, I shall feel it a great accession to
my policy, my courage and my safety. Varro is very obliging; and Pompey
talks like an angel. I hope that in the end I shall either be certain of
a glorious victory, or even escape unmolested. Let me know what you are
doing, how you are enjoying yourself, and what has happened as regards
the Sicyonians.
de re publica quid ego tibi subtiliter? tota periit atque hoc est miserior quam reliquisti, quod tum videbatur eius modi dominatio civitatem oppressisse quae iucunda esset multitudini, bonis autem ita molesta ut tamen sine pernicie, nunc repente tanto in odio est omnibus ut quorsus eruptura sit horreamus. nam iracundiam atque intemperantiam illorum sumus experti qui Catoni irati omnia perdiderunt, sed ita lenibus uti videbantur venenis ut posse videremur sine dolore interire; nunc vero sibilis vulgi, sermonibus honestorum, fremitu Italiae vereor ne exarserint. [2] equidem sperabam, ut saepe etiam loqui tecum solebam, sic orbem rei publicae esse conversum ut vix sonitum audire, vix impressam orbitam videre possemus; et fuisset ita, si homines transitum tempestatis exspectare potuissent. sed cum diu occulte suspirassent, postea iam gemere, ad extremum vero loqui omnes et clamare coeperunt. [3] itaque ille noster amicus insolens infamiae, semper in laude versatus, circumfluens gloria, deformatus corpore, fractus animo, quo se conferat nescit; progressum praecipitem, inconstantem reditum videt; bonos inimicos habet, improbos ipsos non amicos. ac vide mollitiem animi. non tenui lacrimas cum illum a. d. viii Kal. Sextilis vidi de edictis Bibuli contionantem. qui antea solitus esset iactare se magnificentissime illo in loco summo cum amore populi, cunctis faventibus, ut ille tum humilis, ut demissus erat, ut ipse etiam sibi, non iis solum qui aderant, displicebat! [4] O spectaculum uni Crasso iucundum, ceteris non item! nam quia deciderat ex astris, lapsus potius quam progressus videbatur, et, ut Apelles si venerem, aut Protogenes si Ialysum illum suum caeno oblitum videret, magnum, credo, acciperet dolorem, sic ego hunc omnibus a me pictum et politum artis coloribus subito deformatum non sine magno dolore vidi. quamquam nemo putabat propter Clodianum negotium me illi amicum esse debere, tamen tantus fuit amor ut exhauriri nulla posset iniuria. itaque Archilochia in illum edicta Bibuli populo ita sunt iucunda ut eum locum ubi proponuntur prae multitudine eorum qui legunt transire nequeamus, ipsi ita acerba ut tabescat dolore, mihi me hercule molesta, quod et eum quem semper dilexi nimis excruciant et timeo tam vehemens vir tamque acer in ferro et tam insuetus contumeliae ne omni animi impetu dolori et iracundiae pareat. [5] Bibuli qui sit exitus futurus nescio. Vt nunc res se habet, admirabili gloria est. qui cum comitia in mensem Octobrem distulisset, quod solet ea res populi voluntatem offendere, putarat Caesar oratione sua posse impelli contionem ut iret ad Bibulum; multa cum seditiosissime diceret, vocem exprimere non potuit. quid quaeris? sentiunt se nullam ullius partis voluntatem tenere. eo magis vis nobis est timenda. [6] Clodius inimicus est nobis. Pompeius confirmat eum nihil esse facturum contra me. mihi periculosum est credere, ad resistendum me paro. studia spero me summa habiturum omnium ordinum. te cum ego desidero, tum vero res ad tempus illud vocat. plurimum consili, animi, praesidi denique mihi, si te ad tempus videro, accesserit. Varro mihi satis facit. Pompeius loquitur divinitus. spero nos aut cum summa gloria aut certe sine molestia discessuros. tu quid agas, quem ad modum te oblectes, quid cum Sicyonus egeris ut sciam cura.
◆
What shall I write you in detail about the republic? It has perished entirely, and is more wretched than when you left it, because at that time the sort of despotism that had crushed the state seemed pleasing to the multitude, and though it was painful to the respectable citizens, it was at least not ruinous. But now it has suddenly become so hateful to everyone that we shudder at where it may erupt. For we have experienced the anger and excess of those men who, enraged at Cato, threw everything away — yet they seemed to employ such mild poisons that we thought we could die without pain. But now, with the hisses of the crowd, the conversations of the respectable, and the murmuring of Italy, I fear they have been inflamed.
For my part, I had hoped — as I used often to say to you — that the wheel of the republic had turned so smoothly that we could scarcely hear the sound or see the track of its path. And so it would have been, if people could have waited out the passing of the storm. But after they had sighed in secret for a long time, they then began to groan, and finally all began to speak out and shout.
And so that friend of ours, unaccustomed to disgrace, always surrounded by praise, overflowing with glory, now disfigured in body and broken in spirit, does not know where to turn. He sees that to advance is headlong, that to retreat is fickle. He has the respectable men as his enemies, and the disreputable themselves are not his friends. And see how tender my heart is — I could not hold back my tears when I saw him on the 25th of July addressing the people about the edicts of Bibulus. He who had been accustomed to carry himself most magnificently in that place, with the highest affection of the people and everyone cheering — how humble he was then, how dejected, how he displeased even himself, not only those who were present!
What a spectacle — pleasing to Crassus alone, but to no one else! For since he had fallen from the stars, he seemed to have slipped rather than advanced, and just as Apelles, if he saw his Venus, or Protogenes, if he saw that famous Ialysus of his smeared with mud, would, I believe, feel great anguish, so I myself saw this man — painted and polished by me with all the colors of my art — suddenly disfigured, and not without great grief. Although no one thought I ought to remain his friend on account of the Clodian affair, yet so great was my affection that no injury could exhaust it. And so the Archilochian edicts of Bibulus against him are so pleasing to the people that we cannot pass the place where they are posted because of the crowd of those reading them; so bitter to him that he wastes away with grief; and painful to me, by Hercules, both because they torment excessively the man I have always cherished, and because I fear that so violent a man, so fierce with the sword, and so unaccustomed to insult, may surrender himself entirely to grief and anger.
What the outcome will be for Bibulus, I do not know. As things stand now, he enjoys remarkable glory. When he postponed the elections to October — a thing that usually offends the people's will — Caesar thought he could use a speech to drive the assembly to go to Bibulus. But though he spoke in the most seditious manner, he could not extract a single shout. In short, they realize they hold no faction's goodwill. All the more must we fear violence.
Clodius is my enemy. Pompey assures me he will do nothing against me. It is dangerous for me to believe it; I am preparing to resist. I hope I shall have the highest support from all ranks. I miss you greatly, and indeed the situation itself calls you for that critical time. I shall gain the utmost in counsel, courage, and protection if I see you in time. Varro satisfies me. Pompey speaks divinely. I hope we shall come through either with the greatest glory or at least without trouble. Please let me know what you are doing, how you are amusing yourself, and what you have settled with the Sicyonians.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
de re publica quid ego tibi subtiliter? tota periit atque hoc est miserior quam reliquisti, quod tum videbatur eius modi dominatio civitatem oppressisse quae iucunda esset multitudini, bonis autem ita molesta ut tamen sine pernicie, nunc repente tanto in odio est omnibus ut quorsus eruptura sit horreamus. nam iracundiam atque intemperantiam illorum sumus experti qui Catoni irati omnia perdiderunt, sed ita lenibus uti videbantur venenis ut posse videremur sine dolore interire; nunc vero sibilis vulgi, sermonibus honestorum, fremitu Italiae vereor ne exarserint. [2] equidem sperabam, ut saepe etiam loqui tecum solebam, sic orbem rei publicae esse conversum ut vix sonitum audire, vix impressam orbitam videre possemus; et fuisset ita, si homines transitum tempestatis exspectare potuissent. sed cum diu occulte suspirassent, postea iam gemere, ad extremum vero loqui omnes et clamare coeperunt. [3] itaque ille noster amicus insolens infamiae, semper in laude versatus, circumfluens gloria, deformatus corpore, fractus animo, quo se conferat nescit; progressum praecipitem, inconstantem reditum videt; bonos inimicos habet, improbos ipsos non amicos. ac vide mollitiem animi. non tenui lacrimas cum illum a. d. viii Kal. Sextilis vidi de edictis Bibuli contionantem. qui antea solitus esset iactare se magnificentissime illo in loco summo cum amore populi, cunctis faventibus, ut ille tum humilis, ut demissus erat, ut ipse etiam sibi, non iis solum qui aderant, displicebat! [4] O spectaculum uni Crasso iucundum, ceteris non item! nam quia deciderat ex astris, lapsus potius quam progressus videbatur, et, ut Apelles si venerem, aut Protogenes si Ialysum illum suum caeno oblitum videret, magnum, credo, acciperet dolorem, sic ego hunc omnibus a me pictum et politum artis coloribus subito deformatum non sine magno dolore vidi. quamquam nemo putabat propter Clodianum negotium me illi amicum esse debere, tamen tantus fuit amor ut exhauriri nulla posset iniuria. itaque Archilochia in illum edicta Bibuli populo ita sunt iucunda ut eum locum ubi proponuntur prae multitudine eorum qui legunt transire nequeamus, ipsi ita acerba ut tabescat dolore, mihi me hercule molesta, quod et eum quem semper dilexi nimis excruciant et timeo tam vehemens vir tamque acer in ferro et tam insuetus contumeliae ne omni animi impetu dolori et iracundiae pareat. [5] Bibuli qui sit exitus futurus nescio. Vt nunc res se habet, admirabili gloria est. qui cum comitia in mensem Octobrem distulisset, quod solet ea res populi voluntatem offendere, putarat Caesar oratione sua posse impelli contionem ut iret ad Bibulum; multa cum seditiosissime diceret, vocem exprimere non potuit. quid quaeris? sentiunt se nullam ullius partis voluntatem tenere. eo magis vis nobis est timenda. [6] Clodius inimicus est nobis. Pompeius confirmat eum nihil esse facturum contra me. mihi periculosum est credere, ad resistendum me paro. studia spero me summa habiturum omnium ordinum. te cum ego desidero, tum vero res ad tempus illud vocat. plurimum consili, animi, praesidi denique mihi, si te ad tempus videro, accesserit. Varro mihi satis facit. Pompeius loquitur divinitus. spero nos aut cum summa gloria aut certe sine molestia discessuros. tu quid agas, quem ad modum te oblectes, quid cum Sicyonus egeris ut sciam cura.